Today, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, the Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts, and PNC Bank joined members of the Brooklyn Homes Tenant Council for the ribbon cutting and dedication of a new community garden. The community garden project was built with a grant from the PNC Neighborhood Grant Program, which awards cash grants to eligible nonprofit and community organizations for the purpose of strengthening neighborhoods through producing special events, murals, and community gardens.

“For over 20 years, the Neighborhood Grants Program has provided resources to dedicated communities to beautify and revitalize our neighborhoods,” said Mayor Rawlings-Blake. “I want to thank the residents of Brooklyn Homes and PNC Bank for working together to beautify Baltimore and make your community stronger.”

The Brooklyn Homes Tenant Council received a murals and gardens grant from the 2011 PNC Neighborhood Grant Program. The murals and gardens program encourages neighborhoods to collaborate with art organizations and artists to incorporate the arts into community improvement projects, such as reclaiming empty lots, creating murals, or starting community gardens with art components. Grants range from $2,500 to $10,000. The events program distributes funding in the amount of $500 to $1,000 for special events, such as street festivals, flea markets, health fairs, block parties, and more. Baltimore Clayworks and Parks & People Foundation assisted with the art component of the community garden.

Now in its 21st year, the program continues to provide financial assistance in the form of cash grants for special projects that revitalize the city’s neighborhoods and engage its residents. The PNC Neighborhood Grant Program is sponsored by PNC Bank and produced by the Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts.

The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (www.pnc.com) is one of the nation's largest diversified financial services organizations providing retail and business banking; residential mortgage banking; specialized services for corporations and government entities, including corporate banking, real estate finance, and asset-based lending; wealth management; and asset management.

For more information on the PNC Neighborhood Grant Program, contact the Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts at (410)752-8632 or visit www.promotionandarts.com.